Teardowns

Sony Walkman WM-FX20 Teardown

Sony Walkman WM-FX20 Teardown

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Werkzeuge

Es werden einige allgemeine Werkzeuge verwendet, um an diesem Gerät zu arbeiten. Du wirst nicht jedes Werkzeug für jeden Vorgang benötigen.

Background and Identification

The Walkman WM-FX20 is a portable cassette player released by Sony in 1991. It is made from black plastic and is slightly larger in all dimensions than a standard compact cassette. The WM-FX20 also doubles (triples?) as a portable AM/FM radio and an alarm clock. You can identify this Walkman model by looking for the model number “WM-FX20” printed on the bottom of the device. You can find the serial number for the player inside the cassette bay.

All audio on the WM-FX20 is output via the headphone jack on the top of the case. You can change the volume of the output using a small dial nearby. When the Walkman is in cassette mode it can play all three major tape types: normal, chromium, and metal. In radio mode, you can listen to both AM and FM stations and set presets for your favorite channels. While the AM antenna is built-in to the device, FM functionality actually relies on using a plugged-in pair of headphones or an audio cable as the antenna.

This Walkman is powered by two AA batteries which you can insert in a small compartment on the back of the case. If you’re not traveling with the WM-FX20 you can also power it with a 3 Volt DC power adapter (see the manual for more specifications). The most common issue with cassette players is that the drive belts inside will fall apart after some time. Luckily, this Walkman is not too difficult to open, and the belts are easily accessible as shown here on iFixit or in this WM-FX20 belt repair video.

Technical Specifications

Cassette player

  • Support for Type I (normal), Type II (chrome), or Type IV (metal) tapes

Radio

  • AM/FM tuner
  • Built-in AM antenna
  • FM antenna uses headphones

Clock

  • Displays the time
  • One custom-set alarm (can be heard without headphones)

Connections

  • 3.5 mm audio jack

Buttons

  • Play button
  • Stop button
  • Rewind/fast-forward buttons
  • Volume dial
  • Mode switch (tape/clock or radio)
  • Tape type switch
  • Clock mode button (for setting the clock and alarm)
  • Alarm on/off button
  • Alarm stop button

Power

  • Two AA batteries
  • Barrel-type DC power adapter (3 V, center pin negative)

Additional Information

Sony WM-FX20 official support page

Sony WM-FX20 manual

Walkman WM-FX20 on the Radio Museum website